physical, popular, political, moral, and religious sanctions, to prove and illustrate this point, viz. that the Creator governs the world of mind in the same way that he does the world of matter, i. e. by subjecting it to the operation of general laws. The physical and organic laws which govern human organisation are severally explained, as well as the nature of the faculties attached to their violation. Under the head of political, and also of popular sanctions, may be found many excellent remarks, peculiarly adapted to the present state of society and of our free institutions. We should be pleased to make several quotations, but our limits prevent; and the only amend we can make, is, by earnestly recommending the work to the attention of all our readers. As to the leading objects of the work, they resemble in many respects the "Constitution of Man," though it is by no means a copy of that work, as some persons might naturally infer from the nature of the subjects discussed. The style, arrangement, and manner in which the views are presented, are decidedly original, and, in some respects, the work will not suffer in comparison with the great master-piece of Mr. Combe. Mr. Dean's style is chaste and elegant; and would, in the estimation of some, possess too much polish and embellishment for the discussion of scientific and philosophical subjects. There is one term of very frequent occurrence in Mr. Dean's work, the use of which we are disposed to condemn, viz. volition. This has always been a favourite word with the metaphysicians, but inasmuch as the term, volition, is perfectly unintelligible to the great mass of minds, and even writers themselves on mental philosophy put different constructions upon its meaning, the word, in our opinion, should never be used by phrenologists, or by any writers on mental science, who make any pretensions to simplicity and accuracy in the use of language. We cannot close this notice without copying at some length, a quotation from Mr. Dean's chapter on the religious nature of man. The remarks contained in this extract need no commendation. It is quite certain, that when man's whole nature is correctly understood, religion will be more rational and consistent in its manifestations, than the world has ever yet witnessed. When we become fully acquainted with the physical and mental nature of man, and with the true interpretation of revelation, we shall find a most wonderful adaptation and harmony existing between the laws of the former and the truths of the latter. The exhibitions of Divine truth will then be accompanied with a power and efficacy which we no where now behold, inasmuch as they will be more in accordance with the will of the Deity, and the means which he has divinely appointed for the conversion and salva tion of men. There will then, also, be such a beauty and consistency in the manifestation of religious character and conduct as to excite the admiration, and command the respect of the world. It will approximate to that perfect standard which the Deity designed and Revelation requires. "To learn the will of God from his works, requires the exercise of an acute, discriminating intellect. That he wills the highest possible degree of happiness to his rational creatures, is obvious from the fact, that he has endowed them with capacities for enjoyment, and spread around them a creation to minister to their desires. To the physical wants of every bodily organ he has furnished their appropriate aliment; to the social wants, companions, friends, and relatives; to the ideal wants, all the beauty, sublimity, and grandeur reflected from his creation; to the benevolent wants, objects of misery, and distress every where to be relieved; to the immortal wants, the apprehension of the eternal rules of right and wrong, and the feeble comprehension of his own infinite self. With such a table spread before him, man is bidden to the feast of life. And yet how often does he transform that feast to a revel, or scene of cruel contentions, or of deep debauch! With him lies the choice of directions, that terminate in the issues of life or of death. He may steep the soul in the action of the propensities so deep, that it can hardly wing an aspiration beyond the mere animal nature; or he may lift its action into higher and nobler natures, and ascend, through his own moral and religious elements, to the infinite source of every thing that is. "To gratify all the propensities, in subjection to the higher sentiments, enlightened by intellect; 'to use the world as not abusing it;' to place the greatest good in the exercise of the highest thought and most ennobling feeling; to mingle with all the bland socialities of life; to revel amid the deep feelings of the ideal; to obey, in all things, the great and eternal rule of right, the golden rule of the gospel; to indulge in the exercise of a high and heaven-born benevolence; above all, to be thoroughly imbued with the deep and all-pervading feeling of dependence, that with the consciousness of having done all, and done all rightly, casts unhesitatingly and unreservedly all results and consequences upon Him with whom are the issues of things; are the dictates of wisdom, and the revelations of God as disclosed in his word, as proclaimed from his works. "In what, then, does religion essentially consist? Not, certainly, in the mere obedience yielded to creeds, or forms of worship, or special observances. Not in the assumption of undisturbed gravity, great sedateness, or measured regularity of demeanour. Not in the indulgence of an ascetic spirit, condemning every thing bearing the impress of this world, and yet instinctively clinging to every thing earthly. Not in narrowness of mental vision, intolerance of opinion, or severity of judgment upon worldly affairs. Not in such consists the religion revealed in the gospel, or in the books of nature. Far other and different is its spirit and mode of exhibition. "It inspires a deep felt humility, a strong sense of dependence, an unshaken confidence in the Supreme Power. To the pains and penalties of the physical sanction it brings uncomplaining endurance; to those of the political, a meek submission; to those of the popular, the disposition and effort to merit better things; and to those of the moral, the terrible inflictions of an awkward conscience, it brings, not the forgiveness of itself, but of its author. It applies to that self-created, and self-inflicting physical, popular, political, moral, and religious sa There is one term of very frequent occur We cannot close this notice withou quotation from Mr. Dean's chapter on The remarks contained in this extract quite certain, that when man's whole religion will be more rational and consi the world has ever yet witnessed. W with the physical and mental nature pretation of revelation, we shall find a harmony existing between the laws the latter. The exhibitions of Divin with a power and efficacy which we as they will be more in accordance y means which he has divinely appoin will then, also, is out to d religious characa at of an ecidedly weak, particularly Conscienactions were without reference to the justice. feelings and propensities. The strongest estructiveness, Alimentiveness, and Firmd make him quarrelsome, cruel, desperate, He would be disposed to boast, be proud gry, would be reckless and desperate; was minded, witty, and fond of sport and sensual villed, and had uncommon self-possession and gave up the object of his pursuit, and would right or wrong. To sum up his character, I tiveness and Firmness had a controlling infludesperate, and possessed of a murderous dispoingovernable will. ler's examination, after which the gentleman who 11 from Georgetown, Del., stated to the audience haracter of the person to whom it belonged. It Individual, whose skull was examined, was Robert been executed for murder. The following document e facts in the case: wound, the balm of a pardoning God. It brings to that deadly leprosy of the immortal nature, the only means of relief, the only unction that can heal. Its spirit is mild, merciful, benevolent. To all the varying grades of suffering, it carries but one thought-to relieve. To all the complications of error, it brings but one purpose-to amend. It seeks to do good to the only end that good may be done, and that irrespective of the agent. In joy it meets the approving smile of its God, and rejoices; in sorrow, the discipline of the same being, and rejoices still. It is purified by affliction, and ennobled by endurance. It finds in every thing around it more of good than of evil. It revenges wrongs committed, by visiting the moral nature of the wrong doer with the vengeance of forgiveness. Meek in its aspect, pretensionless in its claims, charitable in its constructions, it goes forth amid all this world's multiplied activities, and throws around its pains and pleasures, its loves and hatreds, its hopes and fears, its triumphs and defeats, the mild mantle of its own bland spirit. Its merits lay not in profession, but in possession. It is no noisy arguer, nor wordy disputant. It flies from the clash of creeds, and the wrangle of sects, and takes refuge with the lowly in mind. It points to the centre, source, origin, and cause of things, and urges upon every primitive power of man the highest possible motive that can be addressed to it. It invites rather than threatens, and appeals to human fears only as a means of strengthening human hopes. It hallows and sanctifies all within the sphere of its influence, and visits this sleep of the soul during life, with, at least, the dreams of heaven. It is to the spiritual world, what light is to the natural, and in its mild effulgence stand revealed, in their true proportions, all the mighty moral machinery of motive, intention, power, volition, and act. This is the spirit of the gospel, the spirit of nature. It is neither adverse to life, nor to any of its legitimate pursuits. Religion, unfitted and unadapted to this world, never would have been sent here by its author. The language of scorn, derision, contempt, and condemnation of all this world's uses and purposes, is the language of men, not of God. Why scorn the nursery in which the infancy of a limitless being is reared? We do not look back with contempt upon the cradle in which our slumbering infancy was rocked. The cradle is to life what the world is to eternity. All the uses and purposes of which the last is susceptible, may, in some after stage of our being, be viewed by us in the same light that we now look back upon the baubles that decked our infancy. Yet those baubles were real to us then, and so are the uses and purposes of this world now. They were also useful then. They brought into exercise the same powers and faculties that were required in after life. So also are the uses and purposes of this world useful now. They call out our powers and faculties into action, and serve to discipline immortal natures. What! with a physical frame, and mental powers and capacities adapted to the present state of things, to condemn every thing earthly, and to yield to that condemnation the highest possible homage, that of our action; to lay aside all effort and exertion, because every thing here is too mean for attainment, and thus merit heaven by becoming self-destroyers on earth! This would be a doctrine unworthy the reception of man; much more, then, the bestowment of God. "It is not against the uses, but the abuses of this world, that the mild spirit of religion raises its voice of protestation and warning. Against the unregulated action of the propensities it brings to bear all the machinery of man's higher nature. But their modified, regulated action it invites, encourages, enforces. Its great, leading, and all-controlling object is, to make man fitter for heaven, by rendering him a better tenant of |